Thursday, 24 April 2025

Still moving

Sunny periods, 16°, light NE.

A milder day than of late and a few more Butterflies on the wing as migrant birds still continue to arrive and pass through and Gull species virtually absent.  

Bunk: 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, 3 Lapwing, Herring Gull, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellowhammer, 5 Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, a Willow Warbler, 8 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin.

Yesterday on Cholsey Marsh: a Cuckoo and poss Grasshopper Warbler.  

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Oystercatcher
Dunnock
Red Admiral

Monday, 21 April 2025

Rain & Shine

Overcast with a few light showers then clearing later, 14°, light W.

Lollingdon, River, Marsh, Bunk and Lees.

8 Tufted Duck, Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8+ Sand Martin, 6 House Martin, 20+ Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 2 Wheatear ( 1 Lollingdon and 1nr Church Road), 6 Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Jay, 2 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Orange Tip.

AD, MP & PC.

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy Alan. Just outside the Cholsey boundary so can't count it in the annual stats.

Sunday, 20 April 2025

Cuckoo

Cloudy, 12°, breezy SW.

Cuckoo on the Marsh at 06:15 today. Per Phil Dyson. Heard one last evening from the garden, called 3 times and not heard again.

Friday, 18 April 2025

Some needed rain

Cloudy with showers, 15°, fresh SE.

Bunk, Lollingdon and River/Marsh:

Oystercatcher, 3 Shelduck, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, 3 Lapwing, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat, 3 Wheatear, etc.

Butterflies: a single Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Photos courtesy Alan
Reed Warbler
Wheatear
Little Ringed Plover

Thursday, 17 April 2025

Cholsey

Sunny at first then mostly cloudy, 15°, light S.

Bunk, Lollingdon and River/Marsh:

6 Shoveler, 4 Tufted Duck, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing, 4 Black-headed Gull, 20+ Swallow, 3+ House Martin, 14+ Sand Martin, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Wheatear, many Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, 5+ Blackcap, 2+ Common Whitethroat, 3 Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy Alan ↕

Wednesday, 16 April 2025

River & Bunk

Sunny spells and the odd shower, 13°, fresh SW.

River and Bunk:

C25 House Martin, c15 Swallow, several Sand Martin, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher and 12+ Yellow Wagtail.

Butterflies: Orange Tip.

AD & MP.

Yellow Wagtail

Monday, 14 April 2025

Wheatears

Cloudy with occasional sunshine, 13°, fresh S.

Lollingdon, Marsh and Bunk areas:

3 Wheatear, 2 Common Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, Reed Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 5 Yellowhammer, 6 Swallow, 3 Sand Martin, 4 Lapwing,  Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, and 2 Little Ringed Plover.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Orange Tip, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Wheatear
Wheatear courtesy Alan ↕

Brown Hare

Sunday, 13 April 2025

A change in the weather

Cloudy with some light rain showers. 12°, light SW.

River: Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Oystercatcher over, 2 Swallow + usual suspects.

Bunk: 6 Swallow, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, 20 Tufted Duck, Grey Wagtail, Oystercatcher, 4 Yellow Wagtail over, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.

AD.

Common Whitethroat courtesy Alan
Greenshank courtesy Alan

Saturday, 12 April 2025

Resin Weevil

Sunny at first then cloudy, 16°, light SW.

No sign of the Black Redstart today but Alan caught up with Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat and a Ring-necked Parakeet.

I on the other hand was helping Loren on her allotment when this strange insect landed on me. Loren took a photo and we have tentatively ID’d it as a Resin Weevil, which is a pretty scarce beetle in the UK.



Friday, 11 April 2025

Black Red & Green

Another sunny one, 20°, light NNE.

Bunk, River and Lees areas: A female Black Redstart (3rd record) found by Alan late in the day out towards the Lees, elsewhere, 3 Willow Warbler, usual Chiffchaff and Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, 2 Herring Gull, 8 Black-headed Gull, 5 Lesser Blackback Gull, Gulls becoming less frequent now, 2 Little Grebe, a Teal, 12 Tufted Duck, a Sparrowhawk and a Raven over.

A Ring-necked Parakeet north over Church road approx. 19:00. Per RB.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip and Peacock.

AD & PC.

Black Redstart courtesy Alan
Black Redstart ↕

Greenshank courtesy Alan
Roe Deer

Thursday, 10 April 2025

Another day

Sunny, 16°, light N.

Usual areas covered again today:

Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, 8 Lapwing, 9 Tufted Duck, a Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, 8+ Swallow, 2 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, a single Redwing, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler and a Sparrowhawk.

Mammals: unfortunately a dead Otter found by Alan along the river bank today.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Common Sandpiper courtesy Alan

Lapwing courtesy Alan

Wednesday, 9 April 2025

Migrants trickle in

Sunny, 14°, light to mod NE.

Usual spots covered today:

A Common Redstart, Willow Warbler, many Chiffchaff, several Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, 10 Swallow, 8 Sand Martin, 2 Treecreeper, several Reed Bunting, a Yellowhammer, 1+ Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, 6 Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Kingfisher, a handful of Black-headed Gull, 2 Herring Gull and a Sparrowhawk.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange TipPeacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Chiffchaff
Just over the Oxon border in Streatley, Berks yesterday Alan made the trip for a Hoopoe. One of many to hit the UK’s shores recently.

Monday, 7 April 2025

More sunshine

Sunshiny day, 17°, light ENE.

Lollingdon, River and Bunk areas: Another sunny day but we need some rain.

Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, several Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Mistle Thrush, Swallow, Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Lapwing, 8 Tufted Duck, a Teal and a Little Egret on Church road flood again.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD, MM, PC & RB.

Kestrel
Roe Deer
Wren
Wheatear courtesy Alan
Peacock courtesy Alan

Thursday, 3 April 2025

Weather?

Sunny then clouding over, 18°, breezy E.

Everywhere a little quiet at the moment. Is the weather playing a part?

Green Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatcher and 6 Lapwing were the waders noted today. 6 Tufted Duck and 2 Teal and a few Blackcap in song, a Cetti’s Warbler, Water Rail, Yellowhammer, etc.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White and Peacock.

AD & PC.

Green Sandpiper courtesy Alan

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

A bit of a mix

Sunny, 16°, breezy ENE.

Lollingdon, River and Bunk:

Wheatear, 2 Swallow, a Green Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret, 16 Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, a Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, 4 Common Gull, 2 Cetti’s Warbler and 2 Redwing.

AD & PC.